Burned Out
by Code LJ
Summary: It's early in the relationship between Lady Jaye and Flint, but a ghost from her past is haunting her actions. Please read and review-no flames! This could be considered a continuation of my earlier story, "What Happens in Vegas," but can also be read independently. Enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: Usual disclaimers. This is a continuation from where "What Happens In Vegas" left off, but can also be read independently. As usual, love for you to read and review! Thanks _

Lady Jaye stood with her hands on her hips, her eyes surveying the scene once more. Flint watched her silently. She had already pointed out things to him he never would have noticed before.

She looked at him and finally spoke, her voice flat and emotionless. "It was Zartan all right." She pointed out several clues to Flint that he had left.

At his questioning gaze, she simply said, "I've seen his work before. You learn to notice things."

"Okay, so since we now know it's Cobra, we need to…" he stopped as Lady Jaye held up a hand. She shook her head.

"Not here," she mouthed.

He was learning to trust her instincts, so he waited to speak until they were out of the building.

"What are you thinking?" he asked her.

She flipped open the folder, even though she had already memorized its contents. It was more that she wanted something to do with her hands. She just hoped they were steady enough. Inside, she felt shaky, but hoped Flint wasn't picking that up.

"I'm not sure if he left clues so we'd know it was him or not. It's not like he spray painted a tattoo on the wall," she commented with a wry smile. "We need to check out the places Scarlett's marked for us, starting with this one," she said, her finger pointing to the third on the list. "The others are too obvious."

Flint sighed, not particularly fond of jungles. "So we need to assemble a backup team then."

She glanced at him, wondering at the sigh. Normally, he was very professional in these situations. She wasn't fond of jungles, either, and she'd be sure to pack her bug repellant.

"We need to have one assembled, yes, but I think it should just be the two of us going in, just to make sure we're not wasting anyone's time. We'll keep them on standby."

She patted his shoulder as they drove off. "Don't worry. I have this great stuff that takes down even the largest, hairiest bug!" She gave a little laugh at his expression.

She had to admit, she was enjoying working with him. He was intelligent and insightful. It was nice to be able to bounce ideas off of someone, instead of just working off your gut instincts.

"How do you do that?" he asked quietly. "Be able to look around and spot things. Other than the sign of a struggle, I wouldn't have noticed the other things you did."

She smiled. "Practice. As a kid, I used to spend a lot of time doing jigsaw puzzles and hidden pictures. I guess you could call it early training," she chuckled. "That and reading Agatha Christie and watching old detective movies."

"Kind of like you have an eye for strategy," she continued, feeling a reciprocal compliment was in order. "I'd hate to play you in chess!"

He glanced at her, smiling. "Thanks. I'll have to take you up on that sometime."

"Let's get through this one and we'll see," she said, leaning back and closing her eyes. "Let me know if you need me to drive."

"I've got it….but thanks," he replied sincerely. "I'd get your rest now. Not sure what the next few days have in store for us."

"True," she answered, not opening her eyes, knowing she probably wouldn't sleep.

She was surprised later when Flint shook her gently awake.

"We're almost back at base," he told her when she slowly opened her eyes, blinking at him in the darkness.

"Sorry," she said, arching her back and stretching. "I didn't realize I'd actually fall asleep."

"Don't worry," he teased, "the snoring kept me awake." He didn't want to tell her how appealing she had look as she had slept, the soft smile she had worn, the way her body had relaxed….not to mention the more enticing sight of her stretching after she woke up.

She rolled her eyes, but sent him a smile.

"Have you thought about who you'd like for the team?" she asked.

"Considering the terrain, I was thinking Recondo, Gung Ho, Snake Eyes, Roadblock, and Scarlett."

She considered it for a moment, then nodded.

"I called ahead and talked to Hawk about the situation. We're going to brief about the mission as soon as we get back, then basically pack up and leave. I hope that's okay."

She glanced at him and shrugged. "It's the life," she merely replied. "Good thing I actually managed to cat nap then."

After briefing the team, which included a few more members that Hawk recommended, they prepared to leave. The plan was for Lady Jaye and Flint to jump from the plane carrying the other members of the team into the heart of the jungle. The others would make their way to a rendezvous point where they would await further instructions. It was their hope that the two would slip their way in under any radar Cobra had set up. Once they found the base, they'd communicate to the others the location.

She tried not to dwell on the jump. Of all the things the military required her to do, she hated jumping from planes the most. There was something unnerving about falling through the air with just a bit of cloth between you and death. It took a lot to hide her fear from the others, but she thought she was being somewhat successful until Flint approached her.

"You okay?" he murmured quietly, wanting to place a reassuring hand on her, but refraining. He figured she probably didn't want to draw attention to herself at this point.

"Fine," she said, giving him a bright smile. "You nervous about the mission?"

He had to chuckle at that. "Let me check your pack one more time," he told her. "You can do mine, make sure we didn't miss anything."

"Sure," she murmured, wondering what he was up to. While they checked, he told her a story about one of his first jumps, one that never failed to make the listener laugh, and was pleased to see her body start to relax. However, she stiffened once again as they approached their target.

"Just relax," he murmured, putting a hand on her shoulder as they stood by the door. "I'll be there if anything goes wrong."

She shot him a grateful look, glad that he understood but wasn't being condescending or arrogant about it.

The door opened and, after a quick indrawn breath, they jumped.


	2. Chapter 2

Listening to her mutter in a foreign language, the words dancing on her tongue as she cut through the tangled cords in her chute, had him suppressing a chuckle. It would only earn him a glare from her, he knew. He wanted to tell her how proud he was of her, of how she obviously was scared of something, but still faced it head-on, never complaining or wavering about it.

He also wanted to tell her how damn cute she looked, her hair mussed by the wind, as she cut the last cord that connected her to the chute.

That would probably earn him more than a glare.

"I don't think we hit their radar, but they might have picked up on the cursing," he teased her, as he helped her repack the chute, hiding it in some nearby bushes.

He was surprised to see she actually was blushing. It was hard to see in the moonlight, but he was pretty sure he saw her cheeks go pink.

"Sorry," she muttered. "I just hate jumping. Always have. Damn chute didn't help, either."

"Well, then that should make facing Cobra much easier then," he told her, a ghost of a smile on his face.

"Shall we go?" he asked, as if escorting her through a garden, she thought.

She dug the GPS out of her pocket and waited for it to reposition itself. At her nod, they moved forward, knowing from this moment on they would be traveling in silence.

He had to admit, her insect repellent she had let him use was really working well. Normally by this time, he'd be getting bitten left and right. Granted, it had come in a pink bottle, but he wasn't going to complain.

He watched her hips sway enticingly before him as she led the way. He shook his head. Focus on the mission, he reprimanded himself sternly - more than enough time later to focus on other things. His gaze moved up to her quiver which held her javelins. He shook his head, this time amused, glad he had his trusty firearms. What the hell a javelin could do a gun couldn't, he didn't know. However, the women of GI Joe had their specialty weapons and god bless them for it. Still, she'd have to prove an awful lot by her choice of weapon. Thank god she carried a gun as a secondary.

She paused, putting up a hand to signal silence. He listened intently, not hearing anything at first. Then he heard it – a faint swishing sound, as if someone was making their way through the jungle.

She gestured, and they both moved into the shadow of a nearby tree. He pressed his body close to hers in a protective gesture as well as a strategic one. This way, they would blend in with the shadow of the large trunk of the tree. He had to admit, though, there was definitely a side benefit to it.

She felt his body press into hers, knowing instinctively why he was doing so. Still, it had been a long time since she had let a man get this close to her and she realized how much she missed the physical contact. Knock it off, Allie, she reprimanded herself sternly. Focus on the mission. Your love life can definitely wait!

An animal broke through the brush and paused on the path they had been following. It lifted its nose to the air and sniffed. The panther growled a warning low in its throat. Allie shut her eyes and willed the creature to be on its way. This was the last thing she wanted to deal with right now.

Flint's hand moved to his weapon. He didn't want to harm the creature, but would if it threatened him or his partner. To his surprise, after the growl, the creature cocked its head, as if listening to something, then ambled back off into the jungle.

"That was close," he whispered in Lady Jaye's ear, his hand still at her waist.

She was very aware of how close **he** was, and was relieved when he stepped away. She didn't need this kind of complication right now.

She glanced at the GPS device again, pointed in the direction they'd been traveling before the encounter with the panther, and they began again.

After what seemed to be a good 45 minutes of walking, they saw a light in the distance. Nodding in agreement, they moved off the beaten path and made their way through the undergrowth. It didn't take long to come across a clearing, lit by flaming torches and spotlights.

Behind the torches was what looked to be a pyramid, rising out of the jungle. The spotlights, to the side of the pyramid, lit a parking lot of several Rattlers and other assorted Cobra vehicles. Several men, dressed in Cobra uniforms, circulated around the lot.

The two crouched in the brush, taking it all in.

"Talk about a flair for the dramatic," whispered Flint, close to her ear. She nodded, thinking the same thing.

Gesturing, they decided to check out the perimeter of the clearing. Obviously, there was no way into the pyramid through this direction.

They finally found a darkened corner. Watching, they saw a soldier approach what seemed to be a door to the inside of the large pyramid, and place his hand on a panel. A door in the brick slid open, and he entered, the door automatically closing behind him.

"There's our ticket in," he told her, nodding to the door. "We just need to find the right victims," he said with a wicked smile.

With the lateness of the hour their selection was limited, as there were few soldiers outside the pyramid.

Lady Jaye communicated the coordinates to the waiting team while Flint scouted for their opportunity. At a touch of a button, the team would be in motion – but not yet. They had to make sure the doctor had been brought here and get him out safely. Hawk also had an air strike team on standby, if needed.

They finally saw their opportunity. Flint started to raise his gun, but she touched his arm, shaking her head. Instead, she drew a javelin from her quiver and sent it flying. It landed between the two soldiers, who at first looked at it in bewilderment, then slowly crumpled to the ground.

She sent a satisfied smile his way then approached the two unconscious soldiers with Flint right behind her. They dragged the two behind one of the vehicles and quickly changed into the uniforms. It wasn't a perfect fit, but unless someone looked closely, they wouldn't notice. They placed the helmets on their heads, and their disguise was complete.

Quickly, they tied and gagged the two soldiers, shoving them inside the vehicle.

"They should be out for about an hour or so," she told him.

They lingered by the door until a soldier exited, granting them passage inside.

The hall was dimly lit by torches. They followed the maze of pathways, only passing a soldier or two going about their duties. No one questioned them or asked for their identification.

The pathway led to a great room which they assumed was the center of the pyramid. It was modernized by all the equipment in the room, as well as being the hub of all the activity. Soldiers passed from one side of the room to the other, performing various tasks. No sign of any of the Cobra leaders.

Nodding at one another, they made their way across the room to the hallway beyond. Again, no one questioned them, but everyone seemed busy with their own task.

The hallway split. Knowing their best recourse was to split up, not to mention they seemed to be the only soldiers traveling in pairs, they each went a different way.

Lady Jaye continued down her path, finding herself in what looked to be the private quarters of the soldiers and possibly the officers of Cobra. The doctor would not be held here, and she did not want to find herself face to face with Destro and especially not Zartan.

She froze as she heard a door open. Turning quickly, she started to walk back the way she came, hoping that whoever was coming out of the door would think she had been traveling in that direction the whole time.

Zartan smiled as he watched the view ahead. Cobra employed few female soldiers, and he tried to enjoy each and every one of them. He watched the gentle sway of hips that always exposed the females in those damn shapeless uniforms. He'd really have to convince the Commander to style the uniforms a bit differently, he chuckled to himself.

He loved the chase, so he followed the female at a casual pace. It only heightened his anticipation of what was to come. Granted, there were times when he was a little too…rough….but he always paid the Commander for his loss, so it was usually overlooked.

Allie heard the footfalls behind her, noticing their steady rhythm matching her own. Was she being stalked? All the hairs on the back of her neck were standing up and her instinct was telling her to run, but she kept walking at a steady pace, willing herself to breathe an even rhythm. She fought the urge to look behind her and see who was following. She didn't think she wanted to know.


	3. Chapter 3

Flint made his way along the long hallway, wondering if he should try the doors. They weren't evenly spaced, so he guessed they were not living quarters, but rather rooms used for various things. He had listened at a few of them, but had heard nothing.

There were no doors after awhile and he felt himself going downhill. The air grew colder, and he guessed he was below ground at this point. He could see the Commander making this area his holding cells.

He nodded to the soldier sitting outside one of the rooms, stopping in front of him.

"Thank god!" the soldier exclaimed, seeing Flint. "I thought they had forgotten about me! Commander'd have my hide if I left this guy, but I already missed dinner!"

"Sorry," muttered Flint. "They only just told me to come down here."

"Not a problem!" the soldier slapped him on the shoulder. "I swear, this is the most boring thing. Give me fighting a Joe any day to babysitting!"

Flint nodded, taking the seat the soldier had vacated and watched him walk down the hallway. As soon as he was out of sight, he glanced in the room.

"Doctor Olivari?" he asked softly through the bars in the small window.

There was a murmur from the darkness, and then he heard a muffled reply, as if someone had his face pressed close to the door.

"What do you want now?"

Flint looked around, finally finding the key to the door hanging on a low hook behind the chair. He shook his head at the stupidity Cobra showed sometimes.

"Hang on doctor," he said, unlocking the door, letting it swing open.

The man, a haggard twin to the photograph he had looked at in Hawk's office, came out swinging.

Flint easily subdued him. "Doc," he told the guy sternly, "knock it off. I'm a friend."

The man shook his head. "Don't play the friend angle with me again! I heard enough of that from your Commander!"

"No, really," Flint said, exasperated, glancing around and hoping no one was coming. "I'm from GI Joe."

The doctor paused. "How do I know that's the truth?"

Flint sighed. "My partner and I went to your office, checked it out, and it led us here. You left a message, remember?"

He felt the man relax and he slowly released him, wary.

"You're truly getting me out of here?" At Flint's nod, he continued in a firm tone, "Then we must get the matter generator."

Flint sighed. "Doc, I don't know what kind of operation you think this is, but we need to get out of here before we're discovered. My orders don't include your generator."

The doctor looked stunned. "But…but…we can't leave it in Cobra's hands! Do you know what that means? It's already almost finished and if I leave, they'll figure out what the last steps are! You don't want that kind of weapon in their hands!"

Flint briefly closed his eyes, praying for patience. "Where is this matter generator then?"

The doctor frowned. "I'm not sure. I get so turned around when they lead me from my cell. At night, I'm so exhausted, half the time they drag me back here."

"Well, then consider me escorting you to work then," Flint ground out. "Hopefully someone will show us the way."

He closed the cell door and looked at the doctor. "How do they usually lead you?"

The doctor thought a moment, picturing it in his head. "They usually have a weapon on me, but they haven't cuffed me since the first day."

Flint brought his own gun out, hoping in the dim light it would pass for a Cobra weapon. "Let's go then," he said, waving the gun at the doctor.

He only hoped to run into Lady Jaye coming from the other direction.


	4. Chapter 4

"Sweetheart, how far are we going to walk tonight?"

At the familiar voice, Lady Jaye paused, but didn't immediately turn around. She silently cursed to herself in several languages. Of all the people to run into!

She slowly turned and kept her head bowed, her voice taking on an all-American accent. "Sir, I have orders I have to follow – from the Commander himself."

Zartan chuckled. "Well, belay _those_ orders, honey. I have orders of my own for you to follow. The Commander will understand."

"I'm afraid not, sir. He told me to not let anything distract me this time."

She turned to leave, but he placed a hand on her shoulder. She stiffened instinctively, quelling the urge to fight until absolutely necessary. However, she doubted she would be able to talk her way out of this one.

She was grateful her helmet hid her face, as well as for the dimness of the hallways. Otherwise, he would probably have recognized her right away, and she knew she would no longer be standing here.

"You like it outside? I'm tired of this damned pyramid, tired of breathing the same recycled air those boneheads breathe out. Yes, let's head on outside. Then, you can follow your Commander's orders," he suggested silkily.

At least he wasn't going to try to drag her into one of the rooms, she thought gratefully. It would be easier to get away from him outside. Once she knew Flint had the doctor, then she'd press the button and all hell could break loose. She just hoped she ran into him on her way out the door.

Somehow, they met where they had split up before. She saw Flint's face harden when he saw who was walking next to her. She gave an almost imperceptible shake of her head, not wanting him to go after the mercenary just yet.

Zartan stopped, confused. "Did Destro call the doctor to work again? I thought they were going to eliminate him before this last step?"

Doctor Olivari stiffened. "Eliminate me?" he squeaked.

Flint muttered, "Just following orders," and pushed the doctor forward, towards the large room.

Zartan frowned. "Idiot! That's not the way," he said loudly.

Lady Jaye took his momentary distraction from her and lashed out with a kick, knocking the mercenary down.

"What the hell?" he yelled, and she lashed out again, before he could get up. She tried to knock him out with her pistol, but he grabbed her hand before she could.

"Bitch!" he yelled, his voice echoing down the hallway. They struggled, and she managed to shoot him in the knee. That brought out more loud cursing, and she turned to Flint. "Get him out of here!" she yelled.

She gasped as she felt the knife brush her side, but she kicked Zartan in his injured knee, and he fell to the floor, screaming.

They ran down the hallway, dragging the doctor behind them. As they approached the large room, they calmly walked the doctor across the room. Assuming they were following orders, no one questioned them until they heard a shout from the other side of the room.

"They're f'ing Joes! Shoot them!" yelled Zartan as he limped into the room.

Grabbing the doctor between them, they set off at a run, taking advantage of the momentary confusion.

Lady Jaye felt around in her pocket with her free hand, and managed to find the device. She pressed the button, knowing they needed help NOW!

Luck was with them when they approached the pyramid door. A confused Cobra soldier stood in the entrance, watching them come at him at a run.

"What the….?" he managed, before they swept past him. He seemed to understand the situation and fumbled for his gun as a shout came from down the hallway, but by then, they were outside and halfway across the clearing.

"I can't run anymore!" gasped the doctor. Glancing at one another, they paused, then Flint tossed the man over his shoulder. As they were pelted with gunfire, they continued to run towards the safety of the jungle.

Flint heard Lady Jaye gasp, but she never broke her stride, so he wasn't too worried. They met their guys at the edge of the clearing, who were returning fire as soon as they were safely out of the way.

"Disabled a few of their vehicles, so don't plan on them going anywhere," Recondo said with a grin. Snake Eyes nodded next to him, placing his sword back in its scabbard.

They heard the cursing across the clearing as vehicles fell apart before their eyes.

"That's some sword!" the doctor said, wide eyed. "The matter generator!" he suddenly gasped. "We HAVE to go back for it!"

Flint lost his cool. "We just came through hell, and you want us to go back in again? No, not even for a matter generator!" he said, his face close to the doctor. "I won't endanger my team like that!"

Recondo nodded. "Sounds like it's time for the air strike, then!"

Flint glanced back as the group began to fall back, still returning fire with Cobra. "I think that'll solve this matter generator business!"

The doctor looked terror striken.

"It's okay," Lady Jaye told him in a reassuring tone. "It's not likely to survive an air strike. Even if it does, it can't be replicated without you, right?"

The doctor turned his attention to her, his eyes wide. "You don't understand how Cobra will use it! I've heard their plans! Even if it's destroyed, what's to say I'll be safe? They'll come after me again!"

"We'll put you in protective custody. Please don't worry, Doctor Olivari. Let's just get you out of here safely," she said again, this time her reassuring tone a bit breathy.

"Fall back!" Flint ordered the team, as he received a message through his comm. "Ace and his team are on the way!"

They heard the Skystrikers before they could see them and felt the ground rock at the first hit.

Recondo led them to the waiting vehicles, which would take them back to the plane. They could hear their pursuers behind them hacking through the jungle.

Lady Jaye stopped, listening carefully. Then, taking one of the javelins from her quiver, which she had picked up from its hiding place at the edge of the clearing, she let it fly in the direction of their pursuers. She turned and ran after her team, feeling the explosion behind them.

"Those things really do come in handy, huh?" grinned Gung Ho, who had noticed her pausing and had stayed with her for cover.

He frowned as he saw her pressing her hand to her right side. "What the hell? Are you hurt?"

"It's nothing," she lied, "let's just get going!"

"You need me to…"

"No!" she said, a little sharper than she intended. "I'm okay, really! Let's just get to the vehicles before we're blocked!"

Gung Ho nodded, making sure to keep his eyes on her as they rejoined the team, the last two to reach the vehicles.

"I slowed them down a little," shouted Lady Jaye, trying not to wince. Gung Ho grabbed her and gently lifted her into the vehicle, and then pulled himself up next to her.

"Let's go!" shouted Recondo, and the two jeeps rumbled their way through the jungle. Roadblock manned the gun on one of the vehicles, watching their back, while Flint manned the other.

"You're hurt," Gung Ho scolded, as he saw Lady Jaye press her hand to her side again.

"It's nothing but a flesh wound," she told him, finding it hard to breathe. "I'll be fine."

He frowned. "You don't sound fine."

As they hit another bump, she let out a small cry, then clamped her lips together.


	5. Chapter 5

Scarlett looked at them from the front seat.

"What's up?"

"Lady Jaye's hurt," Gung Ho said, before she could stop him.

"It's nothing," she told Scarlett, feeling guilty at the concerned look on her face. "We can check it out once we're in the air."

Scarlett glanced from Gung Ho's concerned face to Lady Jaye's pained one. "Take care of her," she ordered crisply, then turned back around.

"Al, just let me….aw, hell, Al, you're bleeding through the damn uniform," Gung Ho said softly, as he lifted up the Cobra shirt to reveal a bloodstained green one beneath.

He tore a strip from the bottom of the Cobra uniform and pressed it to her side, leaning her against him.

"It's not necessary…." she began, her face pressed into Gung Ho's side.

"Shut up and let someone help you, okay?" he joked. "I promise I won't let the others see you like this, but for now, at least, let me help. You'd do the same for me."

She knew he was right. As they hit another bump, he pulled her into his lap, resting her head against his chest.

"At least I can offer another cushion against these damn bumps!" he chuckled.

It seemed forever until they pulled into a clearing where the plane waited. They could hear the distant sounds of the air strike as they climbed on board. Lady Jaye insisted on walking of her own accord between a worried Gung Ho and Scarlett.

"Don't know what the damn deal is, not showing you're hurt," muttered Gung Ho over her head to Scarlett, who shrugged in answer. She knew how Lady Jaye felt, though. Being one of only a few females recruited for the team, they had to be tougher than their male counterparts. Sad, but true.

Scarlett led Lady Jaye to the back of the plane for privacy, telling Gung Ho to get a first aid kit.

She pulled up her shirt and clucked her tongue at what she found. She looked up to see Snake Eyes standing beside her, holding out the first aid kit. She knew better than to ask him where Gung Ho had gone to.

"Geeze, Al, you're going to need stitches - some flesh wound, girlie. How the hell you're still standing, I don't know."

Lady Jaye gave a weak laugh. "I hadn't thought of that till just now. I guess the adrenaline's fading away," she commented, swaying on her feet. "Let's not put any suggestions into my head!"

Snake Eyes gestured, and Scarlett bit her lip.

"How's your breathing?"

"Do you think it might have hit my lung? Seems a little low. I'm a little short on breath, but that could be the pain. Shana…" Allie clung to her friend's arm. "I think I need to sit. Now."

The two helped her down slowly. They were in the back where the vehicles had pulled into the plane. The other Joes were up front. She just hoped no one wondered at their absence.

"I wish I had something to give you…." began Scarlett, rummaging through the first aid kit. "Damn thing has nothing but aspirin!"

"I'll take it," Allie gasped. "Just get me cleaned and stitched up, before anyone notices we're gone."

"It's going to hurt."

"No shit, Sherlock. I already figured that one out," she gasped out, managing to roll her eyes. "Just get on with it. Then again, if I pass out, it'll make it easier, right?"

"Don't pass out!" Scarlett told her, stringing the thread through the needle. At her nod, Snake Eyes supported her left side, holding her up straight.

She gritted her teeth as she felt the needle poke into her flesh. She tried a relaxation technique she had learned – imagining you are someplace peaceful, like the beach, listening to the waves.

Unfortunately, even if she envisioned herself at the beach, she still felt the pain of the wound and needle pricking her skin. She gasped out a few curses, then found it easier to save her breath and repeat them in her head.

She felt Snake Eyes reassuring hand on her head. Maybe she **should** just black out. It wouldn't be too hard to drift off. No, but then everyone would know. **He** would know. She didn't want her first time working with him on a combat mission to end like this.

"This is **not** a sign of weakness!" Scarlett said between gritted teeth, reading her friend's thoughts. "This is a soldier getting hurt and needing medical attention. Get over it!"

"There!" she said, finally done, snipping the thread with scissors she had found in the kit. "It's not pretty, but Doc can fix it up better than this, I'm sure, along with the right drugs."

"Thanks," Lady Jaye managed to mutter, feeling herself getting lost in a fog. She fought against it, then fell against Snake Eyes as the plane bucked.

"Great. Freaking turbulence!" ground out Scarlett. "If you don't pass out, maybe I will."

"Hah," gasped Lady Jaye.

"Well, at the very least, we got you out of that ugly Snake uniform," Shana told her in a cheerful tone, handing her a clean shirt she managed to find. She kicked the blue pants and shirt under one of the vehicles. "Not exactly a fashion statement."

Snake Eyes supported her until they reached the main section, where they were met by a very worried Gung Ho.

"How is she?" he asked Scarlett quietly, who shrugged.

"I did my best. I've only been trained as an EMT, not a real doc."

Lady Jaye managed to sit, leaning her head back against the hard contours of the plane, her slow approach blocked by Snake Eyes, Gung Ho, and Scarlett.

"Where's Flint?" she managed to ask Gung Ho, who sat beside her, ready to support her if necessary.

"He's up front with the doctor, who's still going off about his matter device. I swear, they're going to have to sedate the guy!"

She chuckled, then, feeling the pain coursing through her, decided that wasn't a good idea.

Gung Ho still looked worried. "You're going to have to report to Doc when we get back. Why are we hiding it now?"

She slowly turned her head towards him. "The doctor is our main concern right now, not me. I'm fine, or I will be. No big deal."

She closed her eyes and Gung Ho guided her head to his shoulder. She gave up fighting it, and gratefully leaned against him.


	6. Chapter 6

She jolted as she felt the plane hit the runway.

"Sorry," mumbled Gung Ho, hearing her soft gasp. "I was hoping the rest would help."

She managed to smile up at him. "It did. Trust me."

Scarlett stood before her. "No excuses. We're going to see Doc."

Lady Jaye made a face at her roommate. "If it'll get you off my case."

"Damn straight."

"But just for him to check me out and release."

Scarlett rolled her eyes. "Whatever. Just come on. We've got an hour before we have to debrief Hawk. He and Flint are going to have their hands full with Doctor Olivari."

She had been injured before. Who hadn't in their line of work? Gunshot wounds, knife wounds, she'd been beaten up physically and mentally…..but she sure hated the fact that her first time out with her new team, she managed to get hurt.

She gritted her teeth against the pain as well as the panic attack that threatened to rise as they made their way to the infirmary. What if it was worse than she thought?

Doc looked up at the trio who entered, his eyebrows raised. His eyes immediately went to Lady Jaye, who was half being supported by Scarlett and Gung Ho.

"Bring her over here," he simply told them, indicating an empty bed behind him.

"Knife wound, possibly exacerbated by gunshot," she told him, noting the surprise on her friends' faces.

Doc nodded thoughtfully, examining the wound. He glanced up at Scarlett.

"Your work?"

She nodded. "Hard to do on a moving plane."

Doc smiled. "So she's as stubborn as you about not letting others see her hurt. Otherwise, you would have stitched her up on the ground."

Scarlett managed not to blush.

Doc sighed. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to take the stitches out to look closer at it," he said in a sympathetic voice.

Lady Jaye tried not to sigh. "Do what you have to" she said through gritted teeth, looking away.

"I'll need to give you something."

"We have our briefing in an hour," Lady Jaye told him, looking him in the eye. "I can't be groggy for that."

Doc sighed. "I know the ladies' policy is to not show weakness, but I hate to tell you – you're not making it to that briefing. You're not even going to feel like going, even if we wheel you there in a chair."

She flinched. "Please," she begged in a pleading voice.

Doc sighed. "I do have some local anesthetic I can give you, but it'll still have you groggy. You're just going to have to do your debriefing later," he told her in a stern voice. "I don't mess around with the health of one of our Joes."

She blinked back tears, looking away. "Do what you have to," she finally said.

Doc nodded, then gestured towards Scarlett. She already had the needle with the anesthetic ready, having worked with Doc before.

He injected it into her arm and felt Lady Jaye go limp less than a minute later. She closed her eyes, grateful that area felt numb.

Doc moved quickly, first snipping the crude stitches, then examining the wound. He nodded.

"She was right. Knife wound, then this is where the bullet passed through," he pointed out to Scarlett. "Fortunately, it was a flesh wound. I'm more concerned about the knife. While it's not deep, it could have hit an organ. I'll have to use the MRI to make sure."

Scarlett nodded, ready to assist where he needed her. She turned to Gung Ho.

"Tell Hawk what's going on, and that Lady Jaye and I'll talk to him later."

He nodded, knowing that before he told Hawk, he'd have to talk to Flint. He couldn't let his friend go in there and be surprised that one of his team got wounded. Especially Lady Jaye. He had noticed a softening between the two, and knew Flint would be upset.

"It's not serious," he reassured his friend, who looked ready to bolt to the infirmary. He laid a hand on Flint, knowing Lady Jaye wouldn't want him in there right now. It had been bad enough to talk her into going to see Doc in the first place. "She'll be fine. She's with Doc."

"Why didn't she say anything?" ground out Flint, his teeth clenched. He let his anger hide the brief fear he had felt when Gung Ho had told him where she was. "Did she want me to go in blind to Hawk? He'll surely know!"

"I don't think it was that," Gung Ho tried for Allie's reassuring tone. "She was more, well, embarrassed it happened. She didn't want you to know, or anyone to know, really, because she felt it might make her look weak. Think about how Scarlett gets," he reasoned.

Flint stared at him incredulously. "Weak? How could any one of us who've worked with her before think she was weak? Where did she get that stupid idea?"

Gung Ho shrugged. He didn't know, either.

"Doc's working on her now, and then she'll brief Hawk separately. I haven't told him yet, but I'm on my way to."

Flint nodded, glancing at his watch, knowing he didn't have enough time to run to check on Lady Jaye before he had to talk to Hawk. He sighed, determined to check on her after the meeting.

"Thanks," he said to Gung Ho, who stood with his arms crossed, still not sure if Flint was going to bolt to the infirmary. "I'll tell Hawk."

"You sure, man?"

Flint nodded. "It's my team. She was my partner."


	7. Chapter 7

Hawk's brows drew together, a clear sign he was upset.

"How serious is it?" he asked Flint.

"I haven't seen her, personally, but from what I understand, it's minor. I plan on checking on her after the meeting."

Hawk nodded, his body relaxing. "Doc will take care of her." He chuckled. "God help the man," he added cryptically.

Flint figured it best not to ask.

"I trust Doctor Olivari is settling in? He was concerned about being under protective custody and continuing his work."

Hawk's face gave him away. "Oh yes, the good doctor and I talked. I have Shipwreck entertaining him until other arrangements can be made."

Flint tried not to smile. When a "visitor" was put under Shipwreck's care, it was usually because Hawk found the person annoying. He couldn't blame his CO, honestly. He'd had his fill of the doctor on the flight back from the Cobra base. It had prevented him from touching base with Lady Jaye, which meant he had no clue of her injury until Gung Ho had just reported it to him.

Flint waited impatiently until the meeting's end, his mind having a hard time staying focused.

Finally, it was done and he made his way towards Doc's domain.

He met Scarlett in the hallway. She gave him a tired smile. Gesturing behind her, she said, "Doc just finished with her. She's a little dopey, so I wouldn't stay too long. Keep the shop talk till later," she warned.

Flint gave a curt nod and moved past her. She looked back at him, smiling. She'll never know what hit her, she thought, shaking her head, wondering when they would both realize how obvious their feelings were for one another.

Doc looked up from his desk where he was typing his report when Flint walked in.

"I take it you saw Scarlett," he said, turning his attention back to his paperwork after he saw it was Flint. "Keep it brief. She needs to rest and Hawk's recommended keeping her sedated while she has to be in here."

Flint paused. This was the second remark someone had made about Lady Jaye and being in the infirmary. He turned to Doc, who was once again immersed in his paperwork. Shaking his head, he pushed it to the back of his mind.

He spotted Lady Jaye lying in one of the beds, a curtain half closed around her. Smiling, he made his way forward, noticing she had her eyes closed.

Her eyes opened when he pulled a chair up to her bed.

"Hey, there," he said softly. "How are you feeling?"

She was having a hard time focusing. Instinctively, she held out her hand, which he took in his. That seemed to help ground her, her muddled brain thought.

"Ugh. I feel like I've been hit by a truck. What the hell did Doc give me?" she asked groggily.

Flint shrugged. "Some sedative, he said. What is about you and clinics anyway?"

She made a face. "Can't stand them. Rather be dragged through the moors by a horse than be in one. Long story," she sighed. "Another time."

He squeezed her hand, smiling down at her.

"You make the report?"

"Yeah. The doc's being a pain in everyone's behind, but Hawk has Shipwreck entertaining him."

She smiled at that. "That tells you something right there."

His smile faded. "How's the side?" he asked, concern showing in his eyes. "I wish you would have said something."

She tried to shrug, but she flinched at the twinge of pain she felt. "Wouldn't have mattered at the time. Endorphins, you know," she explained. "Had to use them while I had them."

"Adrenaline," he smiled again, amused. "You were shot."

She turned her head, a frown on her face. "Oh, no, I'm not telling you what happened. Then all I'll hear is how women shouldn't be in combat, blah, blah, blah." She sighed. "I know how you operate."

He tried not to be offended, knowing whatever Doc had given her was lowering her inhibitions.

"Allie," he said, gently pushing a strand of hair off her forehead, "that's not how I feel anymore, especially after working with you, Shana, and Courtney. You know that."

"Still not telling you," she said, a sly smile crossing her face. She mimicked locking her closed lips and throwing out the key.

He shook his head, smiling. Impulsively, he leaned down and kissed her forehead. "Try to get some rest, Al," he told her. "I'll be back later."

She started to open her mouth, but then clamped it shut again. She gave him a frustrated look, then blew out a sigh. "Just promise to break me out, okay? I hate being in here!"

He ruffled her hair. "I'll see what I can do," he promised her.

He stopped by Doc's desk before he left.

"Knife wound, aggravated by a gunshot wound. It was a clean shot, though. No internal damage," Doc said, without looking up from his paperwork.

Flint started to open his mouth, but Doc looked up and smiled. "No active duty for the next two weeks, until I can see that it's healed properly. She'll be out of here tomorrow. I'm just keeping her overnight for observation. That answer everything?"

Flint closed his mouth and nodded.

Doc sighed. "I wouldn't keep her here if it wasn't absolutely necessary. Tell Hawk thanks for the intel on that."

Flint started to speak again, but Doc shook his head. "Don't ask."

He bent his head and continued to write, an obvious dismissal.

Flint shook his head, making his way down the hallway. He wasn't sure if he wanted to know anymore.


	8. Chapter 8

"So, Doc cleared you for duty?" Shana asked, looking up as Lady Jaye walked into her office.

She smiled. "Of course! It was only a flesh wound, really. No need for all the fuss," she replied airily.

Scarlett grinned. "Of course, it was nice of someone to keep you company while you were stuck behind a desk this week!"

She felt her face heat, and glared at her friend. "He just felt guilty because I got hurt on the mission he led."

Scarlett laughed. "Yeah, right! Sell that to someone else! Things are getting pretty cozy between the two of you!"

Lady Jaye looked up from her desk in the office she shared with Scarlett. "We're just friends, that's all. Don't be seeing things that aren't there."

Scarlett tilted her head, studying her friend. "You know, your accent comes out more when you get emotional," she teased.

She muttered something and Scarlett laughed. "I heard that! Not sure what it meant, but I can guess!"

Lady Jaye ignored her, checking her email instead. She clicked on a link from one of her contacts, leading her to an article. She sat back and began reading, her mind totally focused.

Scarlett noticed her concentration. "Anything interesting?" she asked, all business now.

Lady Jaye held up a finger. "Hold on a minute and I'll let you know."

After several minutes had passed, she looked over at Scarlett. "Remember Doctor Olivari and his matter generator? He was so concerned that it survived the destruction of the Cobra base? I've had one of my contacts looking into it. He found this."

She turned the screen so Scarlett could see. "It's from a small German newspaper. It mentions several unexplained phenomena in the region, including a demon in an iron mask." She gave a sarcastic smile. "Three guesses on who that could be, and the first two don't count."

Scarlett walked over to read the article closer, trying to pick out the German phrases she knew. "Does that say what I think it does? Dopplegangers?"

Lady Jaye looked serious. "So the matter generator might have actually survived."

Scarlett nodded. "Should we report this to Hawk?"

"Let me get in touch with someone I know who lives in that area, and see what they have to say. Maybe they've seen something."

Scarlett nodded. "Get all our facts straight. Got it."

She straightened up. "You coming to lunch, or are you going to follow your lead?"

Lady Jaye glanced over at the doorway and saw Snake Eyes standing there. She smiled back at Scarlett. "You go on ahead. Let me work on this some more and email my friend."

She turned back to her computer and opened a new window, seeing if she could find any other articles on the events in the German countryside.

She heard the door close softly, and thought Scarlett had closed it when she felt strong hands massaging her shoulders. She reached up and patted them, feeling the smile spread across her face.

"What are you working on?" he murmured, squinting at her computer. "German?"

"Hmm. Just following up on something," she said, then minimized the window and turned to face him.

"Thought you might want to pause for lunch. I hear they're serving the special in the mess hall."

She grimaced. "Oh yeah, you've won me over with that offer," she commented with an eye roll.

He gave a soft chuckle. "Afraid I can't offer anything better than that. Oh wait, I can…."

He leaned down and brushed a soft kiss across her lips.

She smiled up at him as he broke the contact. "Okay, I admit, that was a little better."

He raised an eyebrow. "Only a little?" He pulled her to her feet and she leaned in close.

Their relationship had become more casual in the days after her stay with Doc. They had managed to keep it discrete, knowing with their difference in rank, it could be frowned upon, even though for the most part, Joes didn't always follow by military rank. That, and she didn't want to make it too public yet. So for now, they found dark corners, abandoned rooms….someplace they could be alone, if only for a few moments.

She trailed a finger down his chest. "Doc cleared me for active duty," she said softly.

Her finger seemed to burn a trail down his spine. He was all for taking their relationship to a more physical level, but for now, they had kept it out of the bedroom. He didn't want to jeopardize what they had by going too fast.

"How's it feeling?" he asked, tentatively touching her side.

"Better. I'm a fast healer," she grinned, looking up at him. She had fought her attraction to him for awhile now, but after one of their talks had grown into something more physical…well, there wasn't any rewind button in life. She was enjoying the stolen kisses when no one was around, telling herself the relationship was purely casual. A friends with benefits kind of thing. No need to get too involved for now. That always seemed to lead to trouble with her, she thought, briefly reflecting on her past. She didn't need history repeating itself.

"Scarlett out to lunch for awhile?"

"Mmm, yeah, but I don't think she's going to be gone long. We're on to something."

He sighed, wishing their brief encounters weren't so…brief.

Her look turned to a mischievous grin. "However, we have now…."

"Then let's take advantage of it," he growled, pulling her closer.


	9. Chapter 9

By the time Scarlett returned, Lady Jaye had found what she was looking for.

"Want to see?" she showed Scarlett a chart she had created with all the connections mapped out. "I found several other connections to our little incident mentioned in the paper. I haven't had a chance yet to talk to my friend. I'd like to see his take on this."

She got up, taking her chart with her. "I'll be back."

Scarlett nodded, following up on a lead of her own.

Lady Jaye decided to get some fresh air. She made her way outside, walking towards the small creek that flowed through a back corner of the grounds. She'd be guaranteed privacy there. It was a bit of a trek, but definitely worth it.

A wave of contentment swirled through her as she settled under the tree. She smiled. This was her favorite meditation spot on the base. Few knew about it, or made a point of trying to find it, but it had drawn her from the beginning.

She absentmindedly ran her hand across the moss that grew next to the tree, just enjoying the peacefulness that radiated from the area. She was not looking forward to what she had to do.

Sighing, she flipped open her secured phone – another gift from her family's business – and dialed the once-familiar number.

She spoke briefly in German, listened to what her contact had to say, then disconnected. She was glad he seemed busy and had gotten right down to business – she really hadn't wanted to rehash old times.

She stared blindly at the creek, almost swearing she could smell the smoke and hear the crackle of the flames as they came closer. Shuddering, she forced herself back to the present. She closed her eyes and focused on her breathing, the way she had been taught. Slowly her heart rate returned to normal.

It had been the call that had brought it all back to her, she knew – she had been able to distance herself before with just reading about the area.

Getting up, she dusted herself off and decided it was time to fill Scarlett and Hawk in with what she had found. They might have to use Dr. Olivari again after all, she thought wearily. The man had proven himself to be a royal pain, and the Joes had gladly shipped him off to a government safe house.

She checked the office first for Scarlett. Filling in her teammate with the information she had gathered, they grabbed her chart as well as Scarlett's intell, and made their way to Hawk's office.

His expression remained neutral as they laid the facts before him.

"So your opinion is this matter generator survived and is being put to use by Cobra in the German countryside?"

Lady Jaye tried not to look annoyed. Hadn't that been what they were just saying? Scarlett stood still, but her stance betraying her thoughts.

"Why is it called a matter generator and not a matter replicator?" Scarlett asked suddenly. The other two looked at her. Scarlett continued. "The way the doctor explained it, it replicates matter, correct? I would think the term 'generator' would actually create things. Something isn't sitting right here."

Lady Jaye nodded. "I agree. Granted, it's just a term, but normally scientists are very specific on what they're creating, including the names. I think we're going to have to have a heart-to-heart with Dr. Olivari and see exactly what this machine does, and how it can be disabled for good."

Hawk sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I'm not sure if the name is the most important factor in this situation, but you're right about bringing the doctor back in. Give me a few minutes to call the team together and you can present your findings to them. We'll figure out what to do."

As they began to leave, Lady Jaye turned around and looked at Hawk.

"Yes?" he asked, his voice impatient.

She knew her timing wasn't good, but she had to do it. "Sir, I realize we'll probably be sending a team out to the area. I would like to request…" she paused, then steeled her nerves, "I respectfully request," she amended, "that I not be a part of that team."

Both Scarlett and Hawk stared at her. "Can I ask why? You're the one with contacts in that area. This type of mission needs our covert agent and resident linguist."

Lady Jaye was uncomfortable. "It's rather personal, I'm afraid, but I feel that I wouldn't be 100 percent in the field, knowing where I was. There are others on the team that speak German, and I'm not sure my contacts can't give any more information than they have already." She hesitated to tell them anymore. Even Hawk didn't know about this part of her life – it was not on her military record - and she preferred to keep it private.

"And if we have no choice but to send you?"

She repressed a sigh. "I can't refuse, but know it would be against my better judgment."

She left it with that. Scarlett looked at her thoughtfully as they walked down the hallway, and Allie was grateful her friend didn't push the issue.

She should have known better.

"This has something to do with your nightmare," Shana said in a low whisper, knowing Allie would be embarrassed if others found out about it. "I know it does. You've never asked to be excluded from a mission."

She merely shrugged, and Scarlett let it go, knowing the nightmares were already a sensitive area. Hopefully Allie would explain it to her later. She was worried about her friend.

"Let's head over to the conference room," Lady Jaye suggested after they had walked in silence for a moment. "It won't take long for Hawk to gather the troops."

"What exactly does this machine do again?" asked Beach Head later in the conference room.

"We were told that it duplicates existing objects – nonliving ones," explained Scarlett.

"You don't sound too sure about that," the fourth in command drawled.

"We'll know more once we have Dr. Olivari with us," explained Hawk. "Which brings me to the next matter. We have reason to believe the doctor wasn't telling us the whole story when we rescued him before. Beach Head and Flint, I'll need you two to work together to gather it from him."

Flint merely nodded, but Beach Head grinned. "It'll be a pleasure," he said. Granted, he'd have to work with Flint – not his favorite person – but he'd get the nut to crack, so to speak. He just hoped Flint didn't get in his way.

Hawk addressed the whole group again. "Once we get the right information from the doctor, we'll see about sending a small team in to investigate. Scarlett, you and Flint will head up the first team with Duke and Beach Head's teams on backup."

Flint glanced over at Allie, confused why she wasn't leading a team. He knew she spoke fluent German and would be essential to the team in discovering Cobra and their activities. Granted, Scarlett knew some German, as well as Duke, but the covert specialist not coming on this mission?

He was about to say something, but Hawk dismissed the group. Lady Jaye was the first out of the room and already out of sight by the time Flint reached the hallway.

Scarlett put a hand on his shoulder. "Let her go," she told him softly. "I'm not sure what demons she's fighting, but she specifically asked not to go on this mission."

Flint looked incredulous. "She _asked_ not to go? Since when do we get to request our assignments?"

Scarlett shrugged. "I don't think we do, but for some reason, she feels she wouldn't be effective, and told Hawk that. She refused to say why, and he let it go." She didn't want to tell Flint about the nightmares. That was something personal that Allie should only share with him, or anybody else.

She hesitated, then added, "I'm not sure if we should pursue it. She seemed really upset about the matter, and that's not something I see a lot from her. Give her some time. Maybe she'll open up to one of us," she sighed, looking in the direction her friend had disappeared.


	10. Chapter 10

She wanted to be the first out of the room, knowing Flint would question why she wasn't on his team. Hawk had consistently paired them up, and she was the obvious choice to be the first team in. Sighing, she knew she'd have to come up with some excuse, because he wouldn't leave her alone until she did.

She found herself heading to her office and stopped. That would be the first place he'd look. Briefly, she contemplated requesting leave, but quickly dismissed it. It's not like she could hide forever – not from him, and definitely not from the past. She thought back to what the shrink had told her all those years ago – that she could learn to control the dream. She had argued with him that it wouldn't change the outcome, and he had agreed. Informing her that she had the nightmare because of her guilt didn't help, either. It was the last time she saw the doctor, or any shrink for that matter.

Finding herself near the garage she smiled, thinking she'd check in with Courtney. She racked her brain for an excuse for searching out the mechanic. If anyone could distract her, it would definitely be Court.

The radio was playing classic rock, the tune echoing along the walls combining with the sound of tools, motors, and the occasional muttered comment. It wasn't somewhere anyone would have thought to look for a former supermodel, but to Courtney, this was her little piece of heaven. The other mechanics had long ago stopped seeing her as anything but a fellow greasemonkey when she was working. She had proved herself to them long ago.

Finding the familiar pair of legs in coveralls was difficult, Lady Jaye determined, thinking that they all looked the same and gender neutral. Fortunately for her, her footfalls were recognized and Courtney looked up from where she was bent over an engine.

"Hey Jaye! What's up?" Cover Girl asked, smiling. It wasn't often her roommates entered her domain, and another female in the place was always a welcome site among all the testosterone.

Allie found herself searching again for her excuse. "I, um, needed to ask you a question about my car. It's making that clunking noise again," she said apologetically.

Courtney frowned. "I thought we took care of that. Want to head over to the other garage and check it out now?"

"Sure," Allie replied, then realized like a dummy, she didn't have her car keys. What now?

A few other heads had surfaced and were watching the two women.

"Do you need to talk?" asked Courtney softly, well aware that they were being observed.

Allie bit her lip in frustration, and Courtney nodded. "Let me grab some tools and we'll head right over. It's about time I took a break anyway," she said a bit louder for their audience. Heads disappeared back under hoods and vehicles, and Courtney mouthed, "Busybodies!"

"So I thought we had fixed that noise," Courtney said with a frown as they walked across the open area towards the underground garage where the Joes kept their personal vehicles. "When did you start noticing it again?"

Lady Jaye sighed. "Court? The car's fine. I just needed…" She paused. What did she need? A place to hide, surely. A friend to talk to? She hesitated. She wasn't sure if she was so ready to share her ugly past, even though she knew Courtney wouldn't judge, but merely listen.

"What's wrong?" she asked, getting a good look at her friend's expression. "Did you and Flint…."

"No, nothing like that," Lady Jaye replied, giving a wry smile. If it were only that easy!

They continued into the garage and made their way towards the floor where the girls kept their cars. "So, if its not the car, and its not your boyfriend, what's going on?" Courtney asked, concerned.

They paused in front of Courtney's red truck. Allie's coupe was parked next to it, along with Shana's SUV. Crossing her arms, Courtney leaned against the side of her truck, looking questioningly at her friend.

Allie took a deep breath and let it out slowly. She let the boyfriend comment pass. "I had to refuse an assignment. From Hawk."

Courtney looked stunned. "Can we do that?"

She shrugged. "Not really. I just…I can't go back to this place. There's too much…." her breath hitched and she gave herself a moment to get herself under control.

Courtney looked concerned. "Listen, Al," she said, putting a hand on her friend's shoulder, "whatever it is, you can tell me. Or I can just be here for you, whichever. Does this have anything to do with your nightmares?"

Allie looked stunned. "I thought only Shana knew…"

"Honey, it's woken both of us up before – remember the night you were screaming out? We just thought you'd be embarrassed if both of us knew. Maybe if you talked about it – with me, Shana, or even with Flint or Hawk – it might help. I can't believe Hawk didn't demand an explanation then and there!"

Allie rubbed her temple where she could feel the beginnings of a headache. "I just needed…I needed to get out of headquarters, and I found myself walking in your direction." She paused, sighing. "You're probably right. Maybe if I told you, it could help." She gave a bitter laugh that Courtney had never heard from her before. "It won't change things, but maybe give you a better understanding."

Courtney looked around. "Maybe this isn't the best place…." she began.

Allie sighed. "It's as good as any. I'd rather not be out in the open." She leaned back against her coupe, wishing she had brought her keys. A drive would do her good.

"His name was Richard," she began, deciding to get straight to the point. "He was a friend of my partner in MI-6. We all met at a bar one night when he was in town. I had never believed in love at first sight," she gave a wistful smile, thinking of him, "but with Richard, it seems like that's what it was. We were married three months after meeting. My bosses weren't happy. They thought he'd interfere with my work. My family wasn't too happy, either, thinking he was a gold-digger."

She paused, taking another deep breath. She hadn't talked to anyone about Richard in years, and the thought of him now, picturing him in her head as he was - it made her heart twist. It wasn't quite as painful as it once was, but the emotions were still present.

"We proved them all wrong. Richard got a job and we moved into my flat outside London. We only lived off the money we both made. It was probably one of the happiest points of my life. I was 22 at the time," she smiled at Courtney. "He was 34. We had eloped and never had a real honeymoon, so once I was able to get leave from work, we decided to visit his family in Germany. We toured the countryside and found a cute little cottage to stay in while we were there."

She paused again, knowing the next part of the story would be the hardest. Courtney had listened silently the whole time, her face expressionless. She nodded at Allie to go on.

"We were there for about a week when my partner showed up. MI-6 wanted me back early for another assignment. We invited him to stay for dinner, but he declined, saying he had some business to attend to. We didn't think much of it and since it was late, decided to call it a night. I wasn't happy about going back, but Richard assured me that he would join me in about a week, and we'd be back together in our little flat."

"That night," she continued, her breath hitching, but she forced herself to go on, "I woke up and the bedroom was filled with smoke. Richard wasn't beside me. I rolled to the floor and made my way to the doorway, but the fire was on the first floor. I called for Richard, but there was no answer. I managed to make it over to the window and had to break it open, to get fresh air into the room. I tried once again to find Richard, and actually went out into the hallway to look for him, thinking maybe he had passed out from the smoke."

Her voice grew to a whisper as she relived her past. "It was so dark, and I couldn't see anything. I had started for the stairs, but that's when the first explosion happened. I was knocked back against the bedroom door and I think I lost consciousness for a moment. When I came to, the fire was making its way up the stairs. I knew I had to get out, and was hoping Richard had done the same. I crawled back to the bedroom and threw myself out the window. The local fire crew had just arrived and they managed to carry me from the house. They tell me I was screaming for Richard, but I don't remember much after deciding to go through the window."

"Oh, Allie!" Courtney whispered, hugging her friend to her as tears streamed down Allie's cheeks. "I never knew! No wonder you have nightmares!"

Allie pulled herself away, knowing she had to finish the story. "They found Richard in a closet under the stairs. Besides being burned, they found he had been stabbed, the knife still in his chest. They pegged it as a robbery gone wrong. The fire had been deliberately set," she whispered. "He never had a chance."

"They never found out who?" Courtney whispered, incredulous about the whole story.

Allie shook her head. "I was in a hospital for several months before they'd release me. They actually had pegged me as a suspect, but apparently I was so incoherent, it was ruled out pretty quickly," she explained dryly. "I don't remember much during those months, only being sedated. My family came to collect me after it happened and took me to a special hospital in Switzerland, where I had several skin grafts for the burns, as well as counseling."

Her voice took on a bitter tone. "I was thrown back into duty, but by then, my partner had defected to Cobra." Not that he hadn't paid her a visit first, she thought angrily. It had been his friend, but there had been no sympathy on his part. Instead, he had tried to build on her anger and convince her to join Cobra. It was then she found out her own uncle was part of the organization. She had used that anger to help build her strength and push thoughts of Richard and her past behind her.

"Now you know," Allie said simply, her tears ceasing to flow, her voice once again steady. "The place where they want us to go is where the cottage was."

Courtney shifted uneasily. "Maybe you don't want to hear this, but could revisiting that place help bring you closure? If you haven't been back after all this time…"

Allie gave her friend a tight smile. "Richard's family placed a memorial at the site, and he's buried in the local cemetery. Knowing that, how can I keep my focus on Cobra and the mission at hand? Maybe someday," she sighed, "but I don't think now's the time."

"Al, I'm speaking to you as your friend," Courtney began in a gentle voice. "You have to bring closure to this, if not now, then when? You said that fighting Cobra helped bring you out of your state. Facing Cobra near that area, won't that just sharpen your focus?"

The guilt was eating her up. "You don't understand, Court. I made it out alive – he didn't. That will always haunt me. How can I even go to that area and possibly face his family, his friends?"

"Have you thought of speaking to a professional…"

Allie interrupted her with a bitter laugh. "Oh yes, trust me. I was forced to see several of them while I was in the hospital. It doesn't matter, Court. No matter what, you can't change the past. You can't change what happened."

"But you can put it to rest, have some peace within yourself," Courtney frowned. "Between that, your former partner defecting….it had to be a rough time for you. But you pulled yourself out of it, and here you are today."

Allie blew out a breath she didn't realize she was holding in. "Thanks for listening, Courtney. I guess I don't need to tell you…"

Courtney made a motion. "My lips are sealed. You just let me know what you need me to do."


	11. Chapter 11

The two emerged from the garage and each went their separate way – Cover Girl back to her engine and Lady Jaye to her office. She figured it was safe by now, and Courtney had been right – getting it out had helped ease the weight on her chest, if only a little.

She understood what Courtney meant by closure. At some point, she would have to visit the area, visit Richard's grave. She flinched as the thought crossed her mind. While the pain had eased some during the years, the guilt had not.

It would have been just a tragic accident, if it hadn't been for what had transpired just before and after the fire. She hadn't told Courtney all the details, but she had put the pieces together long ago and thought she knew who had been responsible. It was just so hard to believe he would stoop to that level! Then again, after her few confrontations with him since joining GI Joe, it was becoming more so.

She walked into her office, grateful for the powder Courtney had supplied from her emergency stash in her truck to cover up her blotchy face. Nodding to Scarlett, she sat down and booted up her computer.

"Flint's looking for you," Scarlett said, not bothering to turn around.

She could sense her friend was upset with her. She probably should have waited until both Shana and Courtney were present to reveal her story, but knowing Shana, she would have insisted on delving deeper and not just simply listening, as Courtney had.

"Thanks," she merely replied, entering her password.

She checked the few messages and discarded them – it wasn't any information they didn't already know. Deciding she needed a distraction, she checked her personal email. She smiled at something one of her cousins had sent and shared it with Shana. It helped break the tension in the room as the two chuckled over the latest adventures of her youngest cousin.

"Listen, Al," began Scarlett hesitantly, pausing before she returned back to her computer, "if there's ever anything you need to get off your chest, I'm here for you."

"Thanks," Lady Jaye replied softly, sending her a grateful smile. "The same to you."

Scarlett nodded, then returned her attention back to her work.

Lady Jaye frowned at the last unread message in her inbox. She didn't recognize the address and was about to delete it when some gut instinct told her it might be important.

There was a link – no subject line and no signature. Curiosity getting the better of her, knowing that if it was a virus, their program would have caught it, she clicked on it.

She watched as a picture began to download. She stifled a gasp as the burnt remains of the cottage she had just been telling Courtney about came into view. It was from the police file, and was tagged as such at the bottom. She scrolled down, to see if there was a message or description. Nothing.

Who would send this to her? No one outside her family and friends knew this email address.

Scarlett came to stand behind her. "What's this?" she asked curiously, picking up the file she had just sent to the printer.

Lady Jaye closed her eyes, praying for strength. Drawing upon all her acting skills, she lied, "I don't know. It was a link on my email."

Scarlett moved in for a closer look. "An arson case?" she asked, translating the note that had been tacked on to the picture. "Is this something to do with our latest assignment?"

"No," she answered quickly, closing the window. "Not sure why I was sent this," she lied.

Scarlett shrugged. "Listen, I might have you help me translate some of these files, as well as the map of the area. Flint was pretty insistent that he talk to you before he and Beach Head get bogged down with Dr. Olivari. He wants to rehash with you anything that the doctor said when you rescued him," she told her, knowing if she didn't explain, Allie would avoid him.

"Thanks," Lady Jaye nodded. "I guess I'll see if he's in his office."

She felt pretty shaken by the picture. First the location of Cobra, then revealing her secret to Courtney….was there a connection?

She forced her mind to think over the brief conversation they had with Dr. Olivari during the rescue, pushing the rest to the back of her mind.

Approaching Flint's door, she saw it was open and he was sitting with Beach Head, chuckling over something.

"So, we got our plan straight? Good cop, bad cop routine?" confirmed Beach Head, standing up.

"We'll let him sweat a little, then go in and talk to him," Flint replied, a cocky grin on his face. He looked up and saw Lady Jaye standing in the doorway and smiled. "Let me talk it over with Jaye here and we'll have something to go on."

Beach Head nodded at her as he left the room, purposely closing the door behind him.

Lady Jaye frowned. Did he really think it was necessary?

She turned and saw Flint giving her a gentle smile. She was immediately on guard. Shouldn't he be upset with her for asking not to go on assignment with him?

"You wanted to see me?" she stated, deciding to keep this on a business level.

His smile faded at her tone, and he nodded. "I thought we should go over what Dr. Olivari said to either one of us about the device before Beach Head and I talk to him."

He wondered if he could bring the conversation around to what was bothering her. Even now, she had her mask in place, which he now knew meant she was hiding her emotions.

They talked and he jotted down notes to help him remember.

She paused, and he moved from around his desk to where she was sitting. She didn't resist when he pulled her into his arms. "What's bothering you?" he asked softly after a moment, disappointed to feel her body stiffen with the question.

"It's not about us," she told him, pulling away.

"It doesn't matter if it's about us or not," he told her firmly. "If something's upset you, I want to know what I can do to help."

Her mind flashed back to the photograph and its mysterious sender, as well as the timing. "There's nothing you can do," she said, wincing at the harshness of her words.

He released the hand he had been holding. "Fine, then," he replied, then took a deep breath, willing himself to be patient. "If you need to talk," he began, echoing Scarlett's earlier words.

She gave him a brief smile. "I know," she interrupted him, placing her hand on his cheek. "I appreciate it, but it's just something I need to work through."

The phone rang and Flint grudgingly answered it. He gave a brief reply, then hung up, turning back to her. "I need to go. I'm not sure how long I'll be, but I want us to get together afterwards."

He gave her a quick kiss on the lips before she could protest and grabbed his notes and left.


	12. Chapter 12

"Was it productive?" Scarlett asked as she returned to the office. She had a folder in her hand and was getting ready to join the others with Dr. Olivari.

Lady Jaye shrugged. "We'll see. Beach Head seems to be enjoying this assignment, though," she smiled as she thought of their good cop/bad cop statement. She could only guess who would play the bad cop, she chuckled.

She realized she had forgotten to close out her email as she entered her password to unlock her computer. The email stared at her, as if its sender was still mocking her.

She knew a few things about computers and tried to see if she could find the identity of the sender. After 15 minutes, she sighed, knowing she had struck out. Closing the browser, she thought over Courtney's words about closure.

Was that what the mysterious sender was telling her as well? After all these years, why have it come up now? Was there truly a connection to Cobra? She had her suspicions, but they were all unfounded.

Sighing, she closed the browser and got up and stretched. Maybe she needed to call in an expert's help.

She found Breaker lounging in a chair in the communications room.

"Got a minute?" she asked him, and he sat up quickly.

With a sheepish smile, he explained, "It's been a little slow today. Sure! What you need?"

She frowned. "I'm trying to find out either the identity of someone who sent me an email, or find out more about a website."

Breaker pulled an empty chair over and opened up the laptop in front of him. A game of Solitaire popped up, which he quickly closed. Lady Jaye handed him a piece of paper with the email address on it, as well as the URL of the website.

"Hmm. Let's see what we can do," he muttered more to himself than her. She sat down next to him, explaining what she had done so far. He nodded approvingly. "Well, if those programs don't work, let's try one other one."

He typed it into his computer and read what came up. "Seems it was a public account, now closed, registered to a Richard Claussen. Is that name familiar?"

She felt her face go pale. "When was it closed?"

Breaker was focused on his screen and missed her reaction. He typed in a few more things. "Interesting. It was opened last week and closed just a few hours ago. Probably right after he sent the email." He glanced over at her, but by then, Lady Jaye had herself under control.

"How about we try the website?" he suggested.

She didn't want to look at the picture again, but felt it was necessary. "Sure," she answered, surprised to find her voice steady and not as shaky as she felt at the moment.

"Wow, that is one crispy critter," Breaker muttered, watching the picture load. "Did one of your contacts send this to you then? This Richard?"

"I don't think that's his real name," Lady Jaye said, "but yes. It's from a police file - that much I can figure out. It's an unsolved case, so I can't see the pictures being made public."

Breaker pointed to different parts of the address. "See here? This is actually part of a blog. Users can choose what goes on their blog. This person here obviously just wanted this picture to be published. Let me see if I can find out who it belongs to," he mumbled. "Give me a minute."

"Huh. Same Richard Claussen. You sure that name doesn't mean anything to you? Maybe we should Google it."

"No! I mean, I don't think that will be necessary. It's probably just a made-up name anyway," Lady Jaye said quickly. Breaker gave her a strange look. She managed to smile at him in what she hoped was a normal fashion. "Thanks for the help!"

She left before he could say another word. Breaker shook his head, watching her retreating figure. He wasn't sure what that was all about and why she had reacted the way she had. Shrugging, he settled back, maximizing his game of Solitaire, seeing if he could beat his old score.


	13. Chapter 13

What did it all mean? Obviously someone was playing with her. Richard was dead. Who would be this cruel and why now?

She was so focused on her own thoughts, she ran right into what felt like a brick wall.

Hands reached out to steady her. "You okay?" Gung Ho asked, concerned.

She looked up at him and gave a distracted smile. "Sorry. Yes. Just things on my mind, I suppose. Are you okay?"

He chuckled. She was half his size, and she was asking if _he_ was okay?

"Where are you off to anyway in such a hurry? You look stressed – want to come hang out with some of the guys in the rec room? Marvin's promised to make his world famous brownies."

She debated on it for a moment. What could the harm be? She needed to get her mind off of things. Maybe if her brain took a break, it would piece the puzzle back on its own.

"Give me a few minutes to finish something, and I'll join you," she told him, patting him affectionately on the arm, grateful for the invite.

"Don't be too long, or I'll send Hector to hunt you down!" Gung Ho threatened.

Okay Alison, she told herself, get yourself together. Go in, close up shop for the night, and the answer will probably come when you're not thinking so hard about it.

As she straightened up her desk, her hand accidentally bumped the mouse, and her screen flickered on.

"That's funny," she muttered to herself, "I thought I had closed out my email." Frowning, she was about to close the browser when she saw she had another email.

"No, don't check it, just leave it for tomorrow," she told herself aloud in a stern voice. "Great," she sighed, "now I'm talking to myself. I really must be losing it."

She started to close the email program again, but hesitated. Curiosity got the better of her and she clicked on the "new mail" icon.

It was another link. Biting her lip, knowing it was against her better judgment, she clicked on the link and found herself staring at a black screen.

"What the hell?" she muttered, wondering if a virus had managed to bypass the program.

There was a flash, and a picture appeared on the screen. It was of herself and Richard, taken when they first started dating, at a bar. A few seconds later, another picture appeared, then another, until the entire screen was filled up with pictures, as if they were randomly thrown up on the screen. They kept appearing, faster and faster, and her eyes began to tear with the strain, but she couldn't turn away.

There was another bright flash and then it was as if flames shot up around the pictures, and she watched as a computerized fire made the edges blacken and curl up. One last picture appeared on the pile, growing larger – that of the burned out cottage, the first picture that had been sent to her.

She let out a whimper. Who was doing this to her? Her arms clutched around herself in a protective gesture, her eyes glued to the screen.

It was how Shipwreck found her a few minutes later, staring at a blank computer screen, eyes wide with fright.

"Lady Jaye? Allie?" He snapped his fingers in front of her face. It was like one of those horror movies, he thought, where you watch the tape and then die. Except she wasn't dead. He placed a hand on her shoulder to shake her, and she gave a short scream.

Shipwreck jumped back, startled, letting out a few choice words.

"Al, are you okay?" he asked, his hand clutched at his chest.

When she didn't answer, he turned her chair away from the computer. "Allie?" he tried again, and recognition came to her eyes.

"Hector?"

He breathed a sigh of relief. "For a minute there, I thought…well, anyway," he interrupted himself, thinking the horror-analogy might not be appropriate at this time, "you look like you've seen a ghost. Are you okay?"

She looked up at Shipwreck. "I don't think so," she replied softly, getting slowly up out of the chair.

He shifted nervously from one foot to the other. "Do you need me to get one of the girls? Flint? Doc? Hawk even?"

She slowly shook her head no. "Tell Gung Ho I won't be able to make it," she said, making her way slowly to the door.

"Are you sure you can make it to wherever you're going okay? Maybe I should help you," he said, concerned. "You don't look well, Al."

"I'll be okay," she continued in the soft tone, her voice sounding hoarse. "I just need to go back to my room. I'm not feeling too well."

"Are you…." but she held up her hand.

"Thanks, I'll be okay," she told him.

He frowned as he watched her make her way down the hallway. No way was she okay. He knew Lady Jaye – she was a tough cookie. Not much rattled her, and something had scared the living daylights out of her. Despite what she said, he knew he should get someone to check on her - if not Flint, maybe one of the girls.

He hurried down the hall, hoping to run across one of them on his way back to the rec room.


	14. Chapter 14

She made it back to the room without incident. The darkness of the suite made her feel nervous, and she turned on every light available, feeling a little silly. Still, it helped. The images were burned in her brain, especially the message that had run across the flames at the end. Thinking about it now chilled her to the bone.

Why would someone do this to her? What did he or she have to gain?

The silence was deafening in the suite, and Allie switched on the TV, grateful for any noise that would help block out her thoughts.

She felt so cold. Grabbing one of Courtney's throws she kept on the back of the sofa, she bundled herself up. Still, she felt herself shivering and wondered if it was more from shock.

Normally she was not one for talk shows, but she found herself turning the volume up to drown out the thoughts in her head.

It was how Scarlett and Flint found her, with Courtney following a few moments later. Shipwreck had run into the two as they were leaving the room where they had been questioning Dr. Olivari. Beach Head was with them, whistling, a Cheshire smile on his face. He had been happy playing his "bad cop" role and things had worked out well - they had the information they needed to proceed. They had gotten the good ol' scientist so mixed up, he had finally blurted out what they needed to know. He had to admit – it had been fun.

Hector was huffing and puffing, earning a frown from Beach Head. "Sailor, if running through the halls does that to you, maybe I'm not working you hard enough!"

Shipwreck ignored him, turning to Flint and Scarlett. "You need to come, quick!" he managed, finally catching his breath. "It's Jaye. Something's wrong."

Flint grabbed Shipwreck. "Where is she?" he demanded.

"She said she was on the way back to her room. Gung Ho sent me to fetch her because she was late for brownies, and I found her there, staring at her computer screen, like one of those horror movies?" He found himself waving his hands in the air as he talked. "You know the one, where the freaky girl comes out of the TV and crawls towards you?"

"What the hell are you talking about?" Beach Head asked, scratching his head in confusion. "Is this one of your jokes?"

Shipwreck shook his head. "She told me she didn't need anyone, but something's not right. I asked her if she was okay, and she said no. I've never seen her like this before!"

Scarlett and Flint exchanged a look. "Go find Courtney and tell her to meet us back at the suite," she ordered Shipwreck.

Beach Head snorted. "He looks like he's about to collapse now. You're lucky if she'll get the message by next week. I'll find her," he told the group, who looked at him in surprise.

"Thanks," nodded Scarlett, and she and Flint hustled down the hallway.

Shipwreck gave him a sly smile. "You like her! You act like you don't like anyone."

Beach Head snorted again. "This could be a security situation. Don't take it as any more than that!" he told him and turned on his heel, marching off in the opposite direction. He had a feeling he knew where he'd find Courtney at this time of evening.

Scarlett and Flint stopped short, surprised to see Allie huddled in one of Courtney's quilts. "It has to be almost 80 degrees in here, and she's watching a talk show. She hates talk shows!" Scarlett muttered to Flint.

He nodded, making his way over to the sofa.

"Alison, honey?" he said as he approached her. She looked fragile, like she could break at any moment. Shipwreck was right – he had never seen her like this before. Normally she possessed a tough exterior and was able to get through most things that were thrown at her.

When she didn't look up, he sat down next to her. He reached out to put his arm around her, and she literally jumped.

Courtney burst into the room and took in the scene.

"Oh shit!" she exclaimed, seeing Allie huddled at the end of the couch. "I knew something like this could happen!"

"What do you know?" Shana asked, turning a puzzled glance at her other roommate.

Courtney clamped her lips shut. She had said too much already. Mentally, she berated herself.

"Let me take her for a moment," she told Flint, giving him an apologetic look. "I know what to do."

She crouched down in front of Lady Jaye, getting at eye level. Gently, she took the remote out of her hand and switched off the TV. Lady Jaye blinked, finding herself focusing on Courtney.

"Al, it's me," Courtney said in a gentle voice. "Whatever it was, it's over. It can't hurt you now. Let's get you into the shower so you can warm up, okay?" She held out her hand and pulled her friend up from the sofa, guiding her to the bathroom.

Looking behind her, she requested Scarlett to get her Allie's robe. She sent Flint another apologetic glance. "You can stay if you'd like. She might feel like talking once I get her out of this state."

Shana hustled out of Allie's room and handed Courtney the robe.

After the bathroom door shut, Scarlett and Flint exchanged looks.

"What the hell is going on?" he asked, running his hands through his hair in a nervous gesture.

"Whatever it is, Court knows about it," Shana muttered, feeling a little jealous. Normally the girls shared everything. She flopped down on the sofa, finding herself flipping the TV on. Wincing, she turned the volume down and flipped to a news station.

"Might as well stay informed while we wait," she told him, shrugging. "See if what's happening in Germany has reached CNN's ears."

Fifteen minutes passed until they finally heard the bathroom door open again.

"You go and get dressed, honey. We'll be out here waiting for you," Courtney told her in a soothing voice. "You want me to help?" she asked as Allie hesitated.

She shook her head. "I can do it," she replied, embarrassed to be standing in her robe in front of Flint. She hurried into her bedroom and shut the door.

Courtney gave one last worried look at the door, then joined the other two on the sofa.

Shana looked at her, eyebrows raised. "What was all that about?"

Courtney waved her hand. "Throwback to the modeling world. Too many of them would get in these drug-induced states that were kind of like being in shock. If it wasn't diet pills, it was cocaine," she sighed, glad to be out of the industry. "You learned how to deal with them."

"Are you saying Allie is on drugs?" Flint asked, confused.

Courtney sighed. "No, but she is in shock. Something happened to scare the bejeezus out of her." She paused. "I don't know if it's related to what she told me earlier today, but I sure hope not. I'm not sure she'll even tell us what exactly happened. She may not even remember it," she shrugged.

The bedroom door opened and Allie came out wearing sweats and an old t-shirt. She sent the three an embarrassed smile. "Sorry," she apologized, not quite sure why she was saying it.

Flint stood up and made his way over to her. He paused in front of her, wondering if she would flinch again if he touched her. He stepped closer to her, and she rushed into his arms. She needed the protection and warmth he was offering to her.

She stepped back, nervously tucking a loose strand behind her ear.

"Allie, you need to tell them," Courtney stated. "We can't help you through whatever this is without it."

She began to shake her head no, but Courtney's voice was firm. "You're lucky that Hector came to find _us_, not Hawk or Doc. As it is, everyone's worried about you. We talked about closure. We can work together and see that you get it."

Allie bit her lip nervously. She looked pleadingly at Courtney, who only shook her head, standing her ground.

Sighing, Allie collapsed in a nearby chair. "I don't know if I can talk about it."

"How about just saying what got you so upset first?" Shana said gently. "We're all concerned about you. We're all your friends. You know what you say here doesn't leave the room if you don't want it to."

Allie sighed and then, looking down at the floor, went through an abbreviated version of the story she had told Courtney earlier that day.

As she finished, Flint sat there, stunned. She had been married before? Why hadn't that ever come up before? Then again, why should it? another voice scolded him. It wasn't like they exchanged their sexual histories when their relationship had turned into more than just friendship. Hell, he had never really taken her out on a real date yet!

"So this is why you asked to be excluded from the mission," Shana commented thoughtfully, still feeling a little put out that she had confided in Courtney first.

"It's not just that," Allie said softly, raising her head to look at her friends. "I received two emails today, both with links to different websites."

She didn't want to describe them – she couldn't. Instead, she got up and fetched her personal laptop from her bedroom.

"I need to show you," she told them. "I tracked the first email account with Breaker's help, and I was able to find out who it was. Or who they _claimed_ to be." Her voice was beginning to grow stronger.

As the computer booted up, she took a deep breath and then let it out. "I think either someone is trying to drive me insane, or wants me to come to Germany." At their puzzled look, she explained. "The website and email were registered in my dead husband's name."

She glanced over at Flint and saw he was frowning. Repressing a sigh, knowing that their budding relationship was probably over by this point, she saw no need to hide him from the pictures he'd soon be seeing.

First, she pulled up the picture of the burned cottage.

"You managed to escape that?" Courtney gasped. "No wonder you told me you spent months in the hospital. How badly were you…."

Allie waved a hand, interrupting her. "That's not the point right now."

Shana frowned. "I saw that picture earlier. You never told me that was your cabin." She looked over at Allie, her eyes narrowed. "It was an arson case. Someone deliberately set the fire. But, you were fine when I left…"

"You need to see the second email. I can't watch it and give an objective opinion," she all but whispered. As soon as she clicked the link, she stepped away, making sure to stand in a place where she couldn't see the screen.

The trio studied the computer intently. Allie could tell by their collective gasp when they got to the part with the message, before the whole screen went black.

"Please turn it off," she asked Courtney softly, who jumped up and shut the computer down, making sure to exit the browser first.


	15. Chapter 15

Shana and Courtney jumped up, both giving their roommate a hug. Allie looked between them to where Flint was still sitting on the sofa, frowning, still staring at the now closed laptop.

He looked up and caught her gaze, but she quickly looked away, not wanting to see the censure in his eyes.

"So the nightmares…" began Scarlett, stopping when Allie nodded. She let out a breath. "No wonder! If I lived through something like that, I might have nightmares too. On top of that, now someone is trying to threaten you about it."

"You'll be the next to burn," Courtney repeated the words on the screen. She left off the explicative at the end of the message. "Do you have any idea who would do this?"

"Now that the shock has worn off, I have a few ideas," Allie replied. "I feel like this person will toy with me until I finally end it."

There was a knock on the suite door. Frowning, Shana went to go answer it.

She came back a moment later, a brown padded envelope in her hand. "This was just delivered." She started to hand it to Allie, then paused. "Maybe we should open it."

"Please."

Courtney gave her a pat on the back, then went to go peek in the envelope with Scarlett. She felt so alone and wished Flint would say something. When he had his arms around her earlier, it had felt so good. Had revealing her past pushed him away? She looked up and found him watching her again. Biting her bottom lip again, she started to look away.

He stood up and looked over at the other two.

"I need a few minutes with Allie," he told them. They looked up from examining the outside of the envelope.

He walked over to her and she sighed. "We can talk in my room," she said in a voice so soft, he had to lean forward to hear her.

He followed her, shutting the door behind them. He had never been in her room before and took a moment to glance around. He wasn't surprised to find it neat, with a few splashes of color here and there.

She sat down on her bed and looked up at him, her eyes for once betraying her emotional state.

He sat down next to her, taking her hand.

"I think you know what I'm going to say," he began.

She looked away, willing the tears not to come. Here it comes, she thought. How he couldn't handle this right now. She just had too much baggage, she thought, repeating a line from one of Courtney's favorite game shows.

He kissed the top of her head. "When our relationship went beyond friendship," he said, his thumb rubbing circles along her hand, "I didn't think I would feel the way I did."

_Did_. Past tense. She started to get up, but he held her firmly in place.

"I've taken things slow because I didn't want to mess up. You mean more to me than I ever thought you could." He gave a sheepish smile. "To tell you the truth, I thought we'd have a quick fling and just get it over with. Instead, it's turned into more."

He sighed. "Finding out about your past was, well, disturbing. What you had to go through, what you lost….I can't even imagine how much it hurt. That's why what I'm about to tell you might be upsetting."

She braced herself for it, what she knew was coming.

"I agree with Courtney. If you're ever going to beat this thing, this person who is harassing you, you're going to have to face it head on. You need closure. As much as I am about the mission, I think the best course of action would be to join the team going to Germany."

She stiffened. That was not what she had expected him to say.

"I don't think I can," she said, looking up at him, her eyes wide. "This whole thing has me confused, distracted – how can I focus on the objective at hand with all that going through my brain?"

He sighed, pulling her closer. "I don't really have an answer to that. Whatever, whoever this is, it's tied in with this mission. You're always one to tell me to trust my gut instinct. Right now, it's telling me that your place is with us. Whatever it is, you can't face it alone," he told her.

He kissed her gently on the lips. "If you want, I can talk to Hawk. Put you on the backup team, although I'd rather have you with me. That way, if anything happens, I can protect you."

There was a knock on her door and Shana's voice came through the thin wood. "I think you might want to see this."

He held out his hand to her and continued to hold it as they opened the door.

Shana stood there, a grim expression on her face. "Can you handle this?" she asked Allie in a serious tone.

Flint squeezed her hand in support. She nodded, feeling stronger already.

Shana held the envelope in her hand. "The return address we've already checked out. It's the same cabin," she told her. She held up the envelope. "This is what was in there."

Dipping her hand in the envelope, she pulled out a plane ticket, one way, to Berlin, covered in ash.


	16. Chapter 16

She waited in the vehicle with Duke, listening for the scouting team to report in. The binoculars she was looking through revealed nothing of importance and she put them down with a sigh.

Duke looked at her questioningly, but didn't say anything. He knew she should have been on the scouting team, but Flint had insisted to Hawk she be put on the backup team. It didn't make much sense and other than Flint telling Duke to keep an eye on her, he hadn't heard much in way of explanation. Scarlett had been a little more forthright, telling him that Allie had a stalker and that he might have traced her to Germany. He felt she was holding something back, but who was he to question Hawk's orders?

"See anything?" he asked, already knowing the answer. They were under heavy camouflage, and he had his team check in every half hour, as scattered as they were in the woods outside where they believed Cobra to be.

Lady Jaye shook her head. "Not much to see," she shrugged. "Tell me again how we're supposed to destroy this machine?"

"According to Dr. Olivari, the matter generator is really a matter duplicator, in that it takes one object and copies it. Unfortunately, that means Cobra has unlimited vehicles and weapons. However, it does take time for the machine to copy an object, and the German countryside isn't exactly a place to hide a large cache of weapons. We have a chance to find and destroy it once and for all if we could only find out where they're storing it," he grumbled.

They sat in silence a moment before Lady Jaye observed thoughtfully, "It's interesting they chose this area. The Baroness is Eastern European and I'm not quite sure what nationality Mindbender is. Why this place? What connection is there?"

Duke shrugged. "There are times when I just don't even question what they do anymore. It's kind of like getting lost in a maze if you think too hard about it," he said wryly. "The original purpose of the matter replicator, or whatever they're calling it, was for food. He said it would help out those in starving countries in Africa, as well as other poor countries around the world. The only thing was, he could never get the food to taste the same."

"So it replicates everything but the taste. Interesting."

"What are you thinking in that little analytical mind of yours?" Duke asked with a smile.

"Just that there was a flaw in his original machine. Who's to say there won't be a flaw once Cobra starts using it? For example, a tank that can't fire or a plane that can't fly."

It was Duke's turn to look thoughtful. "You could be right. Maybe they're aware of the flaw and are here trying to work out all the kinks."

She tried not to think of other reasons they'd be in the area.

The radio squawked.

"Duke here," he said, pressing the button.

"We haven't found much, but there's reports of Dredknoks in the village," Scarlett's voice came through the wire. "Should we investigate further?"

"Maybe stay back and follow them. Hopefully they're dumb enough to lead you back to their lair," Duke answered.

"Everything quiet your way?"

"So far."

"Going in for a closer look. Keep the channel open."

Duke depressed the button and looked at Lady Jaye. "Well, you and Scarlett might have been on to something. 'knocks in the village means Cobra's most likely close by."

A movement out of the corner of her eye caught her attention.

"What is it?" Duke asked, sensing it too.

"I'm not sure. Could just be an animal, but we haven't seen as much as a bird since we got here."

Duke made contact with the other vehicles, but no one reported any unusual activity.

"There it is again!" he growled. "It's like its mocking us!"

He drew his gun beside him. "I'm not sure if it's totally wise to go out and investigate, but it could be something. You stay here. If I'm not back in 10, alert the others."

"Duke! You just said it was mocking us. Don't you think it wants us to go pursue it?" Allie asked, worried.

"You stay here. If you see it again, shoot to wound," he told her.

Before she could stop him, he was out of the vehicle, the door closed quietly behind him. He crouched down, using the vehicle and camouflage net as cover. Slowly, he made his way out of the net and into the woods where they last saw the object pass.

Allie switched to the driver's seat. Duke was a good tracker. He had his comm. link, and he would be back in a few minutes or at least check in.

Ten minutes passed and there was no sign of him. Sighing, Lady Jaye radioed the others. "I'm going in after him." She relayed her position back to the team, knowing they would move closer to investigate.

Deciding on a different tactic than Duke, she shimmied up a tall tree to get a good look around the area. She had strapped her quiver to her back that held her javelins, as well as strapped a gun and knife to her leg. She wouldn't be caught unaware and helpless, she determined.

Looking out over the forest floor, she thought she saw the yellow of Duke's shirt. Reading the direction she needed to take, she climbed down the three and approached the area cautiously.

A figure had approached the unconscious Duke and was bending towards him, a knife gleaming in his hand. Lady Jaye let one of her javelins fly, knocking the knife out of the intruder's hand, the force of the blow knocking him backwards.

She held her gun in her other hand, approaching the scene with care.

The man pulled out the javelin from his shirt sleeve and turned in her direction.

"So this is what we've come to," he said softly, and she got her first good look at his face and gasped.


	17. Chapter 17

Richard stood before her, the old familiar grin on his face.

"I wondered when my wife would finally come back to me," he told her, taking a step forward.

"Stop right there!" Allie commanded, holding her gun up.

Richard held his hands up. "I'm unarmed! Not like this guy here, who came trespassing on our land. Friend of yours?"

She continued to stare at him. It looked like him, even sounded like him, but her mind was screaming to her that he was dead.

"What's the matter, sweetheart? You look like you've seen a ghost!" he chuckled.

"Who are you?" she demanded, her gun never wavering.

He cocked his head at her. "You know perfectly well who I am. I can even prove it to you." He began to tell her things, things that only the two of them had shared, things that only the two of them would know.

Her gun began to waver. It wasn't possible! "You're dead," she whispered. "It can't be!"

"Sweetheart, look at me! Do I look dead? I've been waiting so long for you! It's time to go home," he told her, his voice echoing eerily in the empty woods.

She looked around. "What happened here? Last time we were here, the woods were so full of life. Remember that deer we saw?"

He shook his head sadly. "The fire scared them away. They'll come back once they know we're here….together. Come closer, love. I want to hold you again."

She kept her distance. "You sent me messages," she said accusingly, her voice shaky.

He nodded. "I had to get your attention. How else would you have known it was me? It brought you here. I thought the plane ticket was especially a good idea. Except," he frowned, "you didn't come alone." He looked down at Duke, still lying unconscious on the leaves. "You were supposed to come alone."

She shook her head. He knew things only the two of them shared. Who else would have known those things? Still….

"Why did you threaten me?" she asked, her voice growing stronger. She had yet to lower the gun, and he still eyed it cautiously.

"Forgive me, love. I was angry – angry that you abandoned me, abandoned us. I knew your family didn't approve, but that doesn't mean you had to leave for so long."

"Why now?" she questioned, her eyes narrowed.

"It took me this long to get ready. I rebuilt the cabin. It looks just like it once did. Come see it with me," he said, holding out his hand. "Come on, don't be afraid. You know I wouldn't hurt you."

"No!" Lady Jaye yelled, reaching back for one of her javelins. If she could find the one she needed….

With a roar, Richard pounced on her, as if waiting for this very opportunity. They both fell to the ground, the gun knocked out of her hand, her javelins scattered along the forest floor.

She tried to scramble, to reach the gun first, but he was closer. Grabbing it, he crowed triumphantly, bringing the butt down and knocking her unconscious.


	18. Chapter 18

She couldn't move. Letting out a soft moan, she opened her eyes and assessed the situation. Her arms and legs were bound to the chair she was sitting in. Looking around, she realized she was in the charred remains of the cabin.

Wait. That wasn't right. They had knocked down the remains of the cabin after the investigation. They had planted a garden, placing a memorial stone in Richard's honor in the center. His family had sent a picture to her.

She shook her head, confused. The smell of newly charred wood filled her nostrils. Had she somehow been transported back in time?

"Ah, now you're awake, love. I wondered how long you'd be asleep before we could begin."

"Where are we?" she managed to croak, her throat dry.

"At our home, where else? Don't you like what I've done with the place?" Richard laughed.

That laugh.

"You're not Richard!" she accused, glaring up at the man.

"You're right," he answered, smirking at her. "Very astute, Lady Jaye. While I do enjoy playing the role, I'd much rather be myself. I have a feeling I'll enjoy myself more," he leered at her.

There was only one person who could've known the information he had.

"Zartan!" she sneered, and he laughed again.

"I wondered when my old partner would finally figure it out. Such a lovely place, isn't it?" he said, gesturing around. "I thought this setting would be more appropriate to fulfill my plans for you. Thought I'd even get it on camera," he said, gesturing behind him where he had set a camcorder on a rock. "That way, I can rewatch it again and again."

"Why here? Why now?"

He laughed again. "Why not? I would never have thought of it until the raid at the base, where you stole dear ol' Olivari from us. Not that it mattered much – the replicator was almost finished anyway. No, it was how you left me, you stupid bitch! Fortunately I was able to recover from your little injury, but even now I'm walking with a damn limp! No, I've been wanting to do this for a long time. A little psychological torture didn't hurt, either."

He leaned in close. "Did you like my message? All those pictures? The scene had to be set just right," he said, running a knife lightly down her cheek. "I sent the boys into town to distract your friends. We made sure to make headlines to capture your group's attention, and I sent you the first article about possible Cobra activity."

"All for revenge?" she asked, confused. If she could just keep him talking, the others would come. Surely someone had noticed him carrying an unconscious person out of the woods. They had to have found Duke by now!

He waved his arms around him. "And here I thought you had a flair for the dramatics! I did this for you! After all, we were partners," he sneered. "Just think, Alison, if you had chosen to join us – what a team we would have made!"

"We would have been bigger than Cobra!" he told her. "But no. Little rich girl has to fall in love and get married. I had hoped you would bore of stupid Richard and get rid of him on your own. No, instead, I had to help you out with that, didn't I?"

"You….you were the one?" she gasped. She had her suspicions, but to have it confirmed….

"Not without help, I assure you, but my partner wishes to remain nameless," Zartan shrugged. "I'm not a coward. I'll admit my part. We needed you broken, alone. You would have been easy pickings for us. Instead," he said, his voice growing cold, "you chose to go back to MI-6 and fight the good fight. Stiff upper lip, just like a Brit. Joining GI Joe was the last straw."

He stuck his knife angrily into the wood of her chair. "But don't worry," he told her, smiling evilly. "We're going to have fun before you join your beloved Richard."

She tried not to squirm uncomfortably in her chair. She knew all about his perverse tastes, and thought she knew what he had in mind for her.

"Your friends will soon realize that Cobra's not in the area and leave. Didn't you know you left them a message that said you were going to stay for a little while longer and visit with your dead husband's family?" Zartan chuckled menacingly. "By the time I'm finished with you, no one will recognize you, and they'll assume you either went insane or AWOL. Either way, I win," he whispered in her ear, the knife dangling in front of her face.

She had to fight – there was no other way out. She couldn't wait for someone to come rescue her. By then, it might be too late.

She decided her best course of action. "So," she began, finding strength from somewhere, "you were always jealous of Richard. Funny, because you and I never had a chance! You _did_ know that, didn't you?"

"Well, it seems as if someone found her backbone!" he mocked.

"So that's the way you get the girl now, Zartan? You have to kill off the competition? Oh wait – I remember. Apparently attacking and raping them is also your forte. Funny – must be your _new look_ that turns them off!" she spat out. "It's a shame – you had _so_ much potential before."

She watched his fists clench and he got into her face, the knife touching her throat. "I could gut you right now, bitch! What, you want the party over so soon?" He shook his finger in her face, making a tsking sound. "Not going to happen! I will have my fun with you first!" He backhanded her so hard, she saw stars for a moment.

She wouldn't show him any weakness. Instead, she shook her head in pity. "It's a shame. You feel the only way to beat me is to tie me up, helpless, in front of you. Otherwise," she said, her eyes narrowed and angry, staring into his, "you know you could never hold me!"

He laughed aloud. "I must admit, this has been fun, but I'm tired of all the chatter." He took the knife and sliced the buttons off her shirt with one quick stroke, leaving it gaping open.

He made a tsking sound again. "It's a shame you women ruin a good look with this undershirt!" He grabbed the collar and was about to slice through it when she headbutted him.

He cursed, stumbling backwards, dropping the knife. Holding his head, he roared at her. "You'll pay for that one! I was going to take it easy on you, but not now!"

He shook his head, seeing double. They should've taken care of her years ago, when she refused to join them, but oh no, her damn uncle had insisted he would be able to eventually swing her and wouldn't let him touch her!

Lady Jaye used his momentary distraction to set the chair to rocking side to side. If she could get it to break, maybe she'd be free! It was an ordinary wooden kitchen chair – it couldn't be that strong!

Her opportunity was flying away, she realized, as he stumbled towards her again, picking the knife up off the floor where he had dropped it. At that moment, the chair went sideways and she fell to the floor. Her plan only somewhat worked – only the legs had broken off. She was still bound around the wrists to the upper portion of the chair. Still, her legs were free and as he approached her, she used her legs to kick out at him, hoping to come in contact with the same knee. If she could only bring him down again for a few more minutes, she'd possibly have a chance to escape. Having no idea where this new cabin was, she wasn't sure where she'd go, but any place was better than staying here!

She worked her feet and was able to work them out of the rope constraint as he came upon her, the knife held high in the air. Still lying on the floor, she kicked up, but only managed to hit him in the shin.

Adrenaline helped her propel another kick at him, this time connecting with his ankle. After a few other well placed kicks, he finally grabbed at her legs, but she scrambled away in time. Getting up was a little slower than she anticipated, but at least she was mobile while he was still in a crouch.

Roaring, he came after her again, the knife held high, knowing she wouldn't be going far. This was what he had forgotten about her – her tenacity and tendency to never give up in a fight. He used to admire it. Now he just hated it, and hated her even more!

She stumbled and fell, crying out in frustration. He crowed triumphantly and was sending the knife down in an arc when a sudden gust of wind pushed him back. Confused, he tried again, only to be buffeted by the same wind.

Whether it was from the fall or from another source, Allie didn't know, but the ropes seem to be looser on her wrists and she was able to arch and break the part of the chair she was still tethered to. The ropes slid off her wrists with some twisting, although not without cutting into her wrists first.

She scrambled from the ground and took off at a run towards the surrounding woods. She could hear his feet pounding behind her and knew he was still in pursuit.

A shot rang out and she instinctively went low, but she was at the forest's edge. Diving into its shadows, she crawled under a large bush, ignoring the branches scratching at her arms and face.

Several more shots rang out, but she was afraid to look from where she was.

She heard the sound of a motorcycle start, its sound soon fading into the distance.

"That'll show him!" came Gung Ho's voice from somewhere close by.

She crawled out from under the bush cautiously, knowing Zartan's talent for mimicking voices, but her gut told her she was among friends.

"There's the lady of the hour!" said Duke, walking over and holding out a hand. She accepted it gracefully and pulled herself out of the bush. "Decided to have fun without us?"

"Oh yeah, some fun!" she retorted sarcastically, brushing twigs and leaves from her uniform. "You okay?" she asked Duke as he grimaced and rubbed the back of his head.

"I could ask you the same!" he answered. "I guess I have you to thank for being here," he said, holding up the javelin she had thrown in the clearing.

She shrugged. "Nothing we wouldn't have done for each other."

"You really okay?" asked Gung Ho, taking in her state of undress and the bruises beginning to form on her cheek.

She gave him a small smile. "I will be." She turned to Duke. "That was Zartan. With his gloating, he bragged it was just he and the Dredknoks here – no Cobra. They had staged the distraction to throw us off track. Unfortunately," she sighed, "that means no matter device."

"Let's get you cleaned up," Duke said in reply, throwing an arm over her shoulder. "There's some worried folks back at the rendezvous point who'd like to see that you're okay."


	19. Chapter 19

She placed the flowers in front of the stone, saying a quiet prayer. She looked up as the wind scattered some of the petals, sending them swirling lazily through the air.

"Thanks, Richard," she said softly. She spent a few more moments at the memorial, then turned and walked back to where Flint was waiting for her.

He held out a hand and she gratefully took it. Kissing the top of her head, he asked, "You going to be okay?"

She nodded, glancing back at the memorial. "I think so. For so long, I carried the guilt that I survived, but he didn't. I think Courtney was right – coming back did some good. It doesn't change things, but….well, closure," she finished lamely, not sure how to express how she was feeling.

He took her into his arms and hugged her. "Have I ever told you how amazing I think you are?"

His smile faded a bit as he looked at her face, at the bruises and scratches that marred her body.

"They'll heal," she said, seeing the angry look in his eyes.

"If he ever touches you again…" he began, his voice low in almost a predatory growl.

She touched his cheek gently. "We'll get him – all of them - someday. Don't let anger and revenge cloud your judgment."

He knew she was right, but still he swore a silent oath.

"We'd better be getting back. Duke only gave us so much time," she reminded him softly.

He moved her hand from where it still rested on her cheek and kissed her palm. She leaned against him, borrowing some of his strength.

"Maybe we can get some time away," he said as they began to walk away. "How do you feel about the beach?"


End file.
